If you need a break from the crowds at gamescom, there's plenty to do in Cologne besides the world's largest gaming and trade fair itself. For example...
1) Drink Kölsch
It’s the local brew - you can’t get it anywhere else. This isn’t an exaggeration: the Cologne Brewery Association will take legal action against anyone who produces Kölsch outside Cologne.
Incidentally, the drinking age for beer in Germany is 16.
We can write about Kölsch since we are based here
2) Visit Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the biggest Gothic church in Northern Europe. Construction began in the 13th century, but the Cathedral was finally completed in the 19th century, meaning that the edifice boasts some pretty awesome Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture. Plus, you can climb the entire building. Like rock climbing.
Hulking, intimidating, and always busy, the Kölner Dom is a classic symbol of the German people
3) Visit a museum
After waiting in line for hours to play video games, convention visitors can regain IQ points by visiting a Museum, which is German for “museum.” Art and history buffs will enjoy the many art and history museums that Cologne has to offer, while human beings might enjoy the the Chocolate Museum. Executives visiting gamescom may especially enjoy the Money History Museum.
4) Attend an eSports party
- Cologne’s Bar of Legends is hosting League of Legends parties on August the 15th (Friday) and August the 16th (Saturday), starting at 18:00 CEST. Watch a stream of the LCS while imbibing LoL cocktails and listening to LoL music. You can find more information here.
- Barcraft Cologne is hosting a Blizzard party on August the 17th (Sunday) at 18:00 CEST. Watch Hearthstone and StarCraft streams, listen to gaming music and 1v1 people in Hearthstone for free food and drinks. Find out more here.
5) Check out other nightlife
6) Check out the Red Bull Gaming Ground at ESL HQ
While you might have had the chance to visit the ESL offices during a WCS, Intel Extreme Masters or LCS event, you will never have experienced them as they currently are. Featuring the best of gaming both contemporary and old school, the studios are fully decked out with high-end gaming PCs where you can challenge eSports pros in games like FIFA, StarCraft II, League of Legends and Dota, while the rest of the office is stocked with arcade machines and old consoles where you can compete to win cool prizes.
